The Chief of Staff, Guillermo Francos, resented the first management report in the Chamber of Representatives.
Guillermo Francos, the Chief of Staff, presented his first management report to the National Chamber of Representatives yesterday, as mandated by the National Constitution. In this context, Francos highlighted in his opening speech: 'In these months that we have been in government, we have demonstrated that we are highly effective in management.
The official arrived at the National Congress at 10:30 a.m., where he was received by the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Martín Menem, who invited him to the chamber to begin his presentation.
In a session that lasted more than five hours, Francos answered over 70 questions posed by more than 30 deputies from various factions, in addition to the 2,135 questions he addressed in writing in his report.
At the beginning of his speech, Francos provided a detailed account of the economic situation inherited from the previous administration, noting 'a retail inflation rate of around 1% per day, a fiscal imbalance at the Treasury level of five percentage points of GDP, and a 10 percentage point GDP imbalance at the Central Bank.'
'These figures reflect a bloated, inefficient, and corrupt state that provided very poor quality services to the public and ensured business for a few at the expense of all decent Argentinians,' he concluded.
Following this, the Chief of Staff explained area by area the advances in the administration's management, highlighting: 'We have begun to lay the foundations for a new Argentina: a country with freedom, without inflation, without deficits, with a small state that collects fewer taxes, where there is stability and security.'
Francos emphasized the passage of the Bases Law and the fiscal package, 'two laws that imply enormous transformations for Argentina,' and stated that 'their approval was the result of significant work by La Libertad Avanza and those blocs that made themselves available to reach agreements and overcome differences.'
In his speech, Francos reviewed for nearly an hour the main milestones of the administration, covering the areas of Economy, Human Capital, Justice, Education, Public Works, and Security.
Regarding economic achievements, the Chief of the Cabinet detailed that 'in these eight months, the Government focused on managing the macroeconomy.' 'We took Argentina out of hyperinflation, restructured the State, reduced its personnel, eliminated the deficit, and achieved primary, financial, and commercial surpluses,' Francos noted.
Additionally, Francos stated that the Government 'wants the State to stop being a burden that suffocates and limits the freedoms of the private sector,' which is why 'we repealed national regulations that only served to obstruct productive activity.
Regarding the Security sector, the Chief of Staff emphasized the implementation of the Bandera Plan in the city of Rosario, which 'mobilized over 1,700 personnel and 170 vehicles,' resulting in 'a 70% decrease in intentional homicides in the area where federal forces were deployed.'
'Additionally, more than 460 operations were carried out, leading to the arrest of 418 individuals linked to drug trafficking. Cocaine seizures increased by 500% compared to 2023,' he detailed.
On another note, he highlighted the attributes of the anti-piquetes protocol, which 'regulated demonstrations and ended the violent extortion by those who considered themselves the masters of the streets.' 'Since December 2023, street blockades and pickets have ceased, and mobilizations are conducted in accordance with the protocol. The right to free movement for all citizens is now guaranteed,' Francos said
In the social aspect, the Chief of Staff emphasized 'the decision to assist the most vulnerable and eliminate the poverty managers who profit from people's needs.' He highlighted that 'the value of the Universal Child Allowance (AUH) increased by 44% in real terms, and the Food Card was raised by 137.5%' and that 'along with the First 1,000 Days program, these initiatives reflect the reinforcement to reach the families that need it the most without intermediaries.'
Regarding the restructuring of the State, Francos detailed that since the beginning of the administration 'we have reduced the number of government ministries from 18 to eight.' 'We closed ministries and agencies with enormous structures, few management results, and a focus on political propaganda using the resources of all Argentinians,' he emphasized.
To conclude, Francos stated that the outlined measures 'demonstrate that Argentina is undergoing a paradigm shift,' aimed at 'ordering public finances, eliminating the fiscal deficit, and ending inflation.'
'Under President Milei's leadership,' he added, 'we are carrying out radical transformations that will set the country on the path of growth and development that we abandoned so long ago.'
'We are aware of the enormous effort that each and every Argentine makes to support this process,' reflected the Chief of Staff, who concluded: 'I am inspired by a great sense of responsibility, but also by pride and hope because we are on the right path to having a free and prosperous Argentina once again.'